Deadly Mercy
by aflightoffancy
Summary: An act of mercy from Alec’s days at Manticore returns to haunt him. MA.
1. Chapter 1

**Deadly Mercy**

Summary: An act of mercy from Alec's days at Manticore returns to haunt him. MA.

Disclaimer: Nothing. I have absolutely nothing.

A/N: _If you're looking for Logan, you've come to the wrong story. The poor guy's sweet, but he bores me to tears._

Chapter One

* * *

Alec couldn't breathe. Why couldn't he breathe? And why did his mouth taste like dirt and… gasoline?

"Buddy, you all right?"

Alec raised his head out of the puddle and rolled onto his side, wiping the filthy muck out of his eyes.

"Buddy?"

"Yeah," he said, spitting a mouthful of garbage back into the puddle. "I'm fine." Alec looked down at himself. He'd really liked this jacket and there was no way he'd be able to get the smell out. He'd have to find a new satchel too. Keeping them was not an option. Living in a cesspool like Seattle was hard enough on a transgenic nose.

At the moment, though, he was grateful for every bit of feline DNA he owned. The car had come out of nowhere and nearly run him over. Only his quick reflexes had saved him from having tire tracks across his back. It happened from time to time. Whether it was running from White, trying to get packages delivered or chasing Max all over town at breakneck speed, the rest of the traffic didn't always care if he was in the way.

"You sure you're ok, kid?" the man asked. "You took a header straight into the building."

Alec looked around and saw that when he'd jumped, he'd managed to ram his head into a brick wall and then fall face first into the puddle at its base. That explained why his head hurt like, well, like he'd rammed it into a brick wall.

"Kid?" He looked like a blue-collar worker sort, jeans, work boots, flannel shirt, which made sense since he was in an area with a lot of warehousing.

"I said I'm all right." Although he didn't feel like it, Alec grinned to let the man know how all right he was. "Nothing a drink and a lady friend can't fix." The guy snorted his approval and visibly relaxed as Alec had intended.

"Never seen anybody move that fast." The man eyed him curiously.

"Vitamins," Alec said off-handedly.

The man's gaze narrowed, in an instant, curiosity changing to suspicion. "Thing is I don't know if anybody _could_ move that fast."

_Great_. "Well, this has been fun." Time for a quick exit, stage left. Alec clapped his hands together. "A little sludge, a near-death experience. Good times. But I think I'll go now." Before the man could say anything else or call the police, Alec picked up his now damaged bike and hoofed it. Wasn't exactly macho, but it was better than getting picked up by the sector police. At Manticore, being practical had kept him alive. These days it kept him free.

* * *

Alec walked into Jam Pony still covered in drying muck, smelling like a sewer and carrying the mangled remains of his bike. Normal took one look at him and started clucking like a mother hen. The man grabbed a cloth from somewhere and started wiping at him until Alec had to physically take him by the shoulders and push him back.

"Uhh… thanks, Normal, but I'm pretty sure it's a lost cause."

"Just let me-"

"What happened to you?"

Alec inwardly cringed at the dulcet, yet unmistakably derisive tones. Sure enough, the one person he'd most hoped to avoid walked out from behind the lockers. Max smiled, taking in every crusted over inch of him. The woman liked nothing better than seeing him humbled. It was a good thing it took a lot more than a mud puddle and a near miss to bring him down.

"Unlike some people, I was actually working," Alec offered, one eyebrow raised. He shrugged trying to ease the ache in his neck and shoulders. "Car came out of nowhere and nearly hit me."

Max looked behind him to the remains of the bike that, unlike its owner, hadn't been able to jump out of the way. Alec could have sworn the barest hint of concern crossed her face.

"You ok?" was all she asked.

"Need a shower," he answered, rubbing at his nose and this time he was sure of the real compassion he saw. She understood the downside of a super-sensitive nose.

"You go home," Normal ordered. "Miss Late-As-Usual-This-Morning can handle your last run."

Max let out a huff of frustration. "Are you kidding? It's closing time!"

"I'm sorry. Did that sound like a request?" Normal asked, eyeing her, and Alec couldn't help the amused smirk that appeared.

"This loser," she pointed at Alec, "can't figure out not to ride his bike in the middle of the road and I'm the one paying for it?"

"No," Normal shot back. "I am. As in paying your salary. Which we can easily change if I hear another word." He produced a large package as if out of thin air and pushed it into her arms. "Now, bip!"

Max's irritated glare landed on Alec. "I hate you."

"Your mouth says I hate you," Alec replied, "But your body says…"

"I'll kick your ass if you finish that sentence?" Max hefted the huge box and stalked toward the doors.

"Ok, yeah, that's a pretty close translation," Alec assured her. "I'm going to ignore that though. It might further scar my delicate psyche. I've been told I had a troubled childhood."

"Well, you're giving me a troubled adulthood," Max huffed.

He cupped a hand behind his ear like he was hard of hearing. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. I was ignoring you."

"I said you're an ass," Max snapped. "A-S-S. Tell that to your scarred psyche."

Alec laughed good-naturedly despite his continuing headache and followed her outside. He stood there while she got on her bike, struggling with the oversized package.

After watching her continue to fight with it for several more seconds, Alec finally took pity on her and grabbed the heavy box. "Come on. I'll carry it. This one's not going too far. Normal will never know the difference."

"I thought you were going home to take a shower." She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I don't know what you fell in, but you _stink_."

Alec quirked an eyebrow. "You really know how to sweet talk a guy, Max. You sure Manticore didn't give you charm lessons?"

"Yeah," Max said. "It was right between Battle Tactics and Music Appreciation."

They turned the corner, Max on her motorcycle pacing him. Almost immediately they heard the roar of an engine. Alec turned just in time to see the car barreling toward them.

Close. It was too close. And it was the same car as before.

Alec had barely a second to push Max, bike and all, out of the way before the car hit him. He distantly registered it as he was flipped up, crashing into the windshield and then up and over as the car sped away.

The world around him was a quickly darkening haze, but he heard the bulky package he'd been carrying fall down next to him with the distinct sound of glass breaking. Normal was going to be _pissed_.

* * *

_I was missing the show terribly for some reason and a little story popped out. We'll see where it goes._


	2. Chapter 2

**Deadly Mercy**

Summary: An act of mercy from Alec's days at Manticore returns to haunt him.

_Thank you very much for all the encouragement. It brought on another chapter. Even if it is a little short._

Chapter Two

* * *

Alec groaned. He tried to roll onto his side and was immediately sorry. His entire body hurt. Check that. His entire body was screaming.

"Alec?"

He forced one eye open and then the other, wincing at the light. Taking stock, he noted that he was in Max's apartment and, judging from the feel of sheets, in Max's bed. _Nice_. His eyes fluttered closed again.

"Hey!" He felt a not-so-gentle shake of his shoulder. "Stay awake. We need to talk."

Alec forced his eyes open again. The light was slightly more bearable now. A glance at the window told him it was night, which meant he'd been out for an hour or two at least. The piercing glare was coming from the table lamp. He could feel the sheets against his bare skin from waist to shoulder. His jacket and t-shirt were gone and with them, thankfully, most of the stench.

"I left your jeans on," Max said and he realized she was sitting in a chair next to the bed.

"Huh?"

"You fought me when I tried to check your legs. I think your knees are hurt, but I decided to wait until you were awake enough not to take another swing at me." Her eyes narrowed into a glare. "Thanks for that by the way."

Instinctively he tried to bend his knees and nearly cried out at the fiery pain that lit up his entire nervous system. No wonder he'd fought her. He didn't like it any better conscious than he had unconscious.

"I'll take that as a yes on the knees," she sighed.

Alec beat back a very undignified whimper and smiled tightly. "You want to get up close and personal, Max, all you have to do is ask."

"Shut up, Alec." Max stood and pulled back the sheets. She leaned over him and Alec held his breath as she unbuttoned his jeans. "Raise your hips for me."

Alec complied, but it kind of ruined every bit of sexy in the moment when all he wanted to do was scream or sob, or both, as she quickly removed his jeans. He was left in nothing but his boxers, but didn't feel particularly embarrassed. It was difficult to care about being half-naked when you were being tortured to death by a well-meaning nursemaid.

The sudden desire to weep continued as Max methodically checked both of his legs, carefully paying attention to his knees, bending them gently. He didn't give into the temptation. Max was being all business about her work and he didn't want to ruin her stoic efforts by begging for mercy.

"Short-sighted of Manticore to put knees at bumper height," Alec said through clenched teeth. "I should write a complaint, put it in the suggestion box."

Max smirked. "We blew them up. I think they got the message." Finished, she stood up and pulled the sheet back over him. Alec had never been more grateful in his life to have a girl stop touching him.

"Nothing broken," she said. "Hyper-extended your knees. You've got some banged up ribs and you're gonna be rainbow colored for a few."

Alec grinned, then winced at the slight pain it caused. "I'll be your very own ray of sunshine."

"I'd smack your head if I didn't think you'd pass out again. You've got a bruise the size of your ego on your face."

"You could kiss it, make it all better," he suggested, all innocence.

"I could make the other side of your face match," she said, just as innocently. He grinned and she disappeared into the next room and returned a few seconds later holding a glass of water and several pills.

Mindful of his ribs, Alec worked his way into a sitting position and gratefully accepted the offerings. She took the glass back from him, and set it down on a side table while he more carefully arranged the sheets around himself. He really was rainbow colored. He practically had built-in camouflage he was so blotchy with bruises. The urge to slide back down and pull the sheets over his head and sleep for years was beyond tempting. He had a feeling Nurse Max wasn't going to allow that, though.

When she sat back down on the chair she'd occupied earlier, he knew he'd been right. She was watching him like a hawk, but saying nothing. Finally Alec sighed. "Go ahead and say it, Max. I know you're dying to."

"So what did you do now, Alec?" she asked. "Who've you pissed off this time?"

"You don't believe I was accidentally run down twice in the same day?"

Max eyed him. "Do you?"

Alec clenched his teeth, annoyed. "No." He hated it when logic smacked him in the face. Or ran him over.

"So who wants you dead?"

His brow furrowed in concentration, Alec allowed his mind to wander through the possibilities. He'd brokered a deal for some yappy purebred show dogs for some rich snob types. Holding that package overnight hadn't been pleasant. He'd made a bundle though. He'd borrowed a beautiful little prototype from an electronics firm long enough for the competition to get a look at it, then put it back with the real owners none the wiser. He'd bartered for a truckload of tennis shoes and passed them along at an unconscionable markup.

So nothing really out of the ordinary.

Max and her good deeds had taken up the rest of his time, not that he minded. Never a dull moment when Max was around. Still, whoever it was, they didn't know he was a transgenic. White knew it would take more than being hit by a car to take out an X5.

Max cleared her throat and Alec realized he'd been silent for too long.

"You can be impatient all you want," he said, stifling his annoyance. "I'm the one they're trying to kill and I can't think of anyone. Trust me, I'm probably more motivated than you are to figure it out."

"You can't come up with a single person," Max said incredulously.

"Max, you might try charming people once in a while instead of just beating things out of them," Alec suggested. "I rely on contacts I can trust." She glared and he shrugged, grimacing as he did. "Well, _mostly_ trust. There's no money in killing a useful contact. Makes repeat business a little difficult."

"Whatever." Max was still looking at him like he was somehow defective and Alec felt himself bristling. So a guy had to supplement his income in some _interesting_ ways. Times were hard. Was it so difficult to believe he might be a genuine victim?

They both started at a loud knock on the front door. Max hurried out of the room and Alec heard voices, but was too tired to bother listening in. She reappeared only a few moments later carrying an envelope.

"It's a delivery," she frowned, "for you."

"That's not good," he said, eyeing the paper in her hands like it might be a bomb. Deliveries sent to an apartment where you'd only been brought because you were unconscious did not bode well.

Max handed him the small envelope. He flipped it over in his hands, but there was no name on it.

"How do you know it's for me?" he asked.

"The delivery guy said he was told to give it to 'the bastard hit by a car'." She sweetly batted those long eyelashes of hers at him. "I'm pretty sure he meant you."

"He shouldn't talk about my mother that way," Alec said, though he was hardly even listening to himself. His mouth was on autopilot. "My file says she was a good church-going girl. Or at least the one who gave me my hair color was."

He slid his fingers under the flap of the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of paper. Alec felt the blood drain from his face as he read the words.

He'd been right the first time. It was a bomb.

* * *

_Hmmm… that seems like a good place to end for today. More soon._


	3. Chapter 3

**Deadly Mercy**

Summary: An act of mercy from Alec's days at Manticore returns to haunt him.

_All right, tonight is the season finale of _Supernatural_ and I'm all atwitter, so… uhh… here's a little something to keep you amused 'til I can think clearly again… I, uhh… gotta go…_

Chapter Three

* * *

Max watched Alec turn as pale as a ghost, then almost immediately turn bright red as the blood rushed back to his head. He swayed very slightly and for half a second Max was afraid he was going to pass out. Then Alec's eyes snapped up to meet hers and every barrier he had slammed back into place.

"You going to tell me what's going on?" she asked.

Before she'd even finished speaking, Alec had thrown the sheets back and he was sitting on the edge of the bed. He hesitated for only a second and then stood. He let out an involuntary cry as his knees took on the full weight of his body, but he stubbornly reached for his jeans at the foot of the bed.

"Alec, stop!" Max ordered. "You're going to hurt yourself!"

"Don't worry about it," Alec replied, all his muscles whipcord tight to keep him standing. "Where's my shirt?"

"Alec, you're not leaving until you tell me what's going on." She could see he was ready to bolt. Only the fact that he was hurting so badly was holding him back.

"Max, just get me my shirt and I'll get out of your hair," he snapped. "There's no need for you…" He stopped, breathing hard, and Max could tell his mind was going a mile a minute. Strategies, contingency plans, escape routes… He closed his eyes, wavering briefly. "I'll… I can handle this."

When in doubt, hit something. That was Max's motto. Alec was just buttoning his jeans and Max hit him dead center in the chest, though not as hard as she might have. Alec couldn't hold his balance and toppled onto the mattress. He angrily fought his way back to a sitting position, his legs over the side of the bed. Max quickly sat in the chair in front of him. She wrapped her fingers around one of his knees, putting just enough pressure into her grasp to get his attention. Alec hissed like any cat and went very still.

Max didn't remove her hand and waited until his eyes met hers. "We're not going to do this again, are we?"

"Max, please." He put his hand over hers, sending a jolt of electricity through her. Even beaten to a pulp, Alec was definitely a man in his prime, a beauty even among transgenics, and he was looking her dead in the eye. More importantly, this was Alec and Alec was… _Alec_. She'd think about how convoluted that was later. He carefully tugged her fingers away and some of the tension left his face. "Don't quite know your own strength there, Maxie."

Max drew her hand back and forcibly ignored the thought that Alec's fingers had lingered just a few moments longer than strictly necessary. "Alec, you know what happens when you don't tell me what's going on." She saw it flit across his face, memories of nearly killing her, killing Joshua, nearly having his head explode, and then Rachel and her father and every disastrous thought that went along with it.

Max reached out and took the piece of paper Alec still held crumpled in his hand. He didn't fight her. He watched her silently as she smoothed open the note, his expression blank.

"We didn't see it coming. Neither will you," she read aloud. "Nicholas." Max looked up at him. "Who's Nicholas?"

She saw him swallow nervously, the muscles in his throat working, though his expression was unreadable. He just sat there watching her, his steady gaze boring into her, as if trying to decide. Decide what, she wasn't sure. What to tell her, what not to. What to tell of the truth, what to lie about. Whether to run for it and never look back.

His eyes dropped to his hands. He turned them over, looking at them, studying them like the answer to her question might be there.

"Alec?" she pressed.

"Max, how many people have you killed?"

Whatever she'd been expecting that wasn't it. Max blinked in surprise and quickly sat back in her chair putting a little distance between them. "Too many," she finally answered.

"How many?" Alec asked again, undeterred.

Max shrugged, immensely uncomfortable with this line of questioning. She'd still been a child when she'd left Manticore and she didn't like guns, which meant most of what she did wasn't really lethal. She was more in the rescue biz these days. Just looking at Alec's face though reminded her that she'd been forced to kill. "I don't know," she finally said.

"Thirty two."

Max frowned. "What?"

"Thirty two confirmed kills," he said, bitter anger just beneath the surface. "That's just me. Nothing that could have been attributed to the group or a strike team. Just me. Up close and personal."

Max didn't say anything. She felt queasy, though she tried not to let it show. _You think life was rough when we were ten? Take it from me, later on it got a whole lot worse._

Alec chuckled, but it was an ugly sound. "And that doesn't count collateral damage. You didn't get credit for dead guards or dead business partners or dead family members you had to go through to get to the target."

He stopped talking and went back to staring at his hands, but Max knew now that he wasn't looking for answers. There was blood on his hands, years' worth of it.

"Alec, who is Nicholas?" she asked again. Whoever he was, he was still alive.

"Boo, you in there?" OC stuck her head in the door and her eyes widened at the sight in front of her. Alec, shirtless and covered in bruises, and Max sitting facing him, both looking troubled.

"Give us a minute?" Max asked, but before the other woman could answer Alec shook his head.

"No. I should go." He stood and stifled a yelp as he straightened and tried to move. "Sorry for bothering you like this." Breathing hard, he jammed his feet back into his shoes and bolted for the door, brushing past both of the women. On the way out he picked up a short blanket and threw it around his bare shoulders. "I'll return this later. Promise."

He was hurt and Max didn't even have to move that fast to block his way to the front door. "Alec, we're not done here," she said angrily, then nearly swore as her beeper went off. She practically ripped it from her belt to look at the display. Logan. 911. Sometimes that man had the worst timing.

Alec's eyes met hers, pain-filled, but somehow… distant, resigned. Resigned to going it alone. Fighting alone. Maybe dying alone. "You should go. I'm sure he needs you," Alec said. He stepped around her and a second later he was gone.

* * *

_More soon._


	4. Chapter 4

**Deadly Mercy**

Summary: An act of mercy from Alec's days at Manticore returns to haunt him.

_All right… Benefiting from a day off work, a chapter of a more respectable length for ya._

Chapter Four

* * *

Max stopped outside the door to Alec's apartment and took a moment to tamp down her irritation. A quick phone call to Logan had told her that he needed her for an information run. Alec's impending disaster outranked that any day. Logan had other people who could get him the info he was looking for, but not everyone could handle Alec. Even she might not be able to get through to him. Alec had shields made of iron and his carefully constructed grin was more effective than body armor.

Max knew all about keeping people at arm's length. She'd made nearly an art of it. She and Alec were a lot alike in that respect, really. Except she bitched at everything and he smiled and laughed everything off. To each his own coping mechanism. But Alec… Alec had lived through quite a few more years of Manticore's tender care than she had. Self-preservation had required stronger defenses for him and he was armored like Fort Knox.

When she'd told Logan he would have to find someone else to get the information he wanted, Logan had been hurt and angry. Just another example of Alec causing more problems, problems for her, and more importantly problems between her and Logan. But Max had the uncomfortable feeling that this wasn't Alec's doing. His reaction to the note had Manticore's fingerprints stamped all over it. Alec just didn't freak out over a business deal or some scheme gone wrong.

Max took another steadying breath, forcing the last of her irritation away. Once she was inside, she would need her patience, which was always in limited supply anyway. Finally, she raised her hand and knocked. There was no movement inside the apartment, no sound. Max momentarily considered that Alec wasn't there, then discarded the idea. He'd been dirty and half-naked. He would have been forced to at least make a stop here. She knocked again, more forcefully this time.

"Pick the lock already, Max," she heard Alec call. His voice didn't sound right though. It wasn't… Alec-y. Max hurriedly picked the lock and opened the door. Inside, the apartment was dark except for the bright moonlight filtering in the windows. She took several steps in and stopped, trying to find the apartment's owner.

"I'd stay away from the windows if I were you."

The voice was coming from the kitchen area. Max flipped a switch and an overhead light came on. Alec had bathed and changed clothes. He was sitting on the kitchen floor, his back against the bar separating the kitchen from the living room. He had a bottle of scotch and a glass sitting on the floor between his legs, but neither looked like they'd been touched. He wasn't looking at her and his eyes didn't seem quite focused, just staring off at something she couldn't see.

"I'd stay out of the light too."

Max's eyes darted to the windows and noted that one of the panes was broken. Immediately she sank down using the bar as cover, still several feet from Alec.

He raised his head and looked at her blankly. "You get Logan all squared away?"

"Yeah," Max said, studying his tired, strained features. "You know you're bleeding, right?"

"That would be why I recommended staying away from the windows. I think it was just a warning shot. Barely nicked me."

Max wasn't so sure. Blood was soaking the back of his shirt at one shoulder and running down his back. "You want me to take a look at it?" she offered.

"Not really." Alec looked down at the bottle of scotch as if just realizing it was there. He poured some into the glass, picked it up and swirled it slowly, watching the way it caught the light, then set the glass back on the floor.

"Come on," she said. "Don't want a scar to mess up those pretty boy looks."

His head snapped up, fury like she'd rarely seen written on his features. "You think that's funny?"

"N-no," Max stammered, completely thrown by Alec's reaction to her words. She called him worse than that nearly every time they met.

"Get out, Max." He pointed toward the door, then grimaced as the motion pulled at his shoulder. It seemed to further infuriate him. "Get out of my apartment!"

"Alec…"

"Surely there's some widow or an orphan out there you can kick while they're down," he said acidly. "Or better yet, go back to Logan. I'm sure you two can sit and bore each other to death for hours on end. Just leave me alone." He picked up the glass again and downed the contents in one swallow.

"Alec, just…"

Without warning he threw the glass against the wall, spraying shards around her onto the floor. "Get. Out."

Her first instinct was to leave and let him wallow in his own disaster, but she stopped herself. He'd backed her up too many times now for her to get pissed off and leave him behind just because he was being an ass. "Look, what I said," she held her hands out in the universal 'I'm unarmed' position, "I didn't mean anything." She edged closer, knowing she was trying to approach a wounded and cornered animal.

He sighed and laughed suddenly, a pale imitation of his normal smirk appearing, but an effort nonetheless. The change was so startling Max stopped moving to reassess the situation. Maybe Alec was more unstable than she knew.

"Max, Max," he said, drawing the words out. "How did I manage to rate being your project of the day?"

"Just lucky, I guess," she answered warily.

"Cause that's us, isn't it?" he observed, the anger and bitterness creeping back into his voice. "Lucky."

"We got out, didn't we?" she asked and immediately realized it was the wrong thing to say.

Alec pushed himself away from her to sit against the far wall, blood from his shoulder smearing a trail behind him as he moved.

"No," he said flatly. "_We_ didn't."

"So this," she didn't bother to be more specific, "is all left over from Manticore?"

He sagged against the wall in sudden exhaustion and rubbed a hand over his bruised face. "Just leave it alone, Max," he said evenly, though it was almost pleading. "Just go. Save the world. Save the transgenics. Or just go back to Logan. Have a litter of kittens who'll be bossy, do-gooder, know-it-alls. Just go."

_Don't make me talk about this_. She could almost hear the silent words. But she couldn't bring herself to do that. Not now. She knew more now. Knew more of what he was hiding and how well he kept it hidden. More importantly, she knew enough now to _care_ that he was trying to hide it from her.

Alec, who'd nonchalantly brushed off the idea that he was working for the bad guys the first time they'd met… She'd seen him kick a hired thug nearly to death out of sheer rage and frustration over what Manticore had done to him, had forced him to do. She'd seen him weep at Rachel's bedside. She'd seen him with Joshua, unashamedly hugging him, mourning with him at the loss of Annie. But most of all Max remembered the night when he'd asked about Ben. She'd seen him nervously toying with the cuffs of his jacket, tapping his fingers together, afraid to ask, yet longing for a brother he'd never known, trying to understand what had become of him. And because of that, she'd told him the simple, ugly truth. In a matter of seconds, he'd fully grasped how it had ended and why, yet offered no blame at her part in it. He'd simply shared her sorrow at the loss of another soul ruined beyond repair by Manticore.

Alec needed her now whether he would admit it or not. And she needed him to be ok. She relied on him to be unruffled whether delivering packages or when the bullets were flying. A world where he wasn't, was not a world she was comfortable in. Her devil-may-care Alec being off kilter just threw everything else out of balance.

"Alec, I need to look at your shoulder," she said matter-of-factly. "You got a first aid kit around here?"

He didn't move for several more seconds, just watching her, then finally pointed to a cabinet behind her. Max retrieved the kit and scooted closer to him, brushing a few bits of glass out of her way. "Turn around," she ordered, "and take your shirt off."

"You've got a thing for taking off my shirt," he remarked as he pulled his shirt over his head and turned around. "I'm starting to get the wrong idea. Not that it's a bad idea."

Max opened her mouth to retort, but snapped it shut again as she caught sight of Alec's back. What he'd called a nick was a seven inch long furrow cutting across his shoulder blade. The bullet had been meant to kill. Of that she had no doubt. Since Alec was still sitting behind the bar, he obviously knew it too.

"Max?" Alec said lightly. "You know I love to make a woman speechless, but it's a little chilly in here. You wanna move this along?"

"You want this done right or you want it done fast?" Before the words were even out of her mouth she could tell he was grinning. "Shut up, Alec."

"I didn't say a word, Max," he said defensively, though she could still hear the grin in his voice.

"Uh huh." Max quickly shook herself out of her surprised reverie, gathered up the supplies she would need and set to work cleaning the wound. She was mindful of the heavy bruising left from the car crash. The one Alec had saved her from, knowing he could only save one of them. Selfish, egotistical Alec had chosen her over himself, which had to make a girl think. He'd paid dearly for his choice. Looking at his broad shoulders and back now, she saw the bruises were still fresh, deep black in places where the most damage had been done. Had it only been a few hours ago?

"So you want to tell me why you got so pissed off when I called you… that?" Somehow it was easier to ask since she wasn't looking at him face to face. "It's not like it's the first time I've done it."

Alec's shoulder and back muscles tightened visibly, but it was the only reaction. He remained resolutely silent, the sound of his breathing the only accompaniment to her work.

"Alec, I don't wanna figure this out by having Logan dig it up. It'll just take longer and I won't get what really happened. So why don't you stop being an ass about it and just tell me," she ordered.

Alec was silent for several more seconds and Max began to wonder if he'd even heard her. But then he took in a slow, shuddering breath and nodded, as if he'd come to some sort of decision.

"Before Berrisford, I'd had four solo missions," he said slowly, like the very act of speaking was difficult.

"Uh huh." Max nodded. She hadn't known that, but she nodded anyway to encourage him.

"Before those… before we were cleared for solo work… they would send us in groups… or with a guard as a… watchdog I guess…" He trailed off, but Max stayed quiet, afraid any attempts to rush him would only backfire. He would either tell her or he wouldn't.

Max finished cleaning the ragged gash and pulled a small sterile suture packet from the kit. She had to hand it to Alec. He kept a well stocked first-aid kit. The needle pierced Alec's skin. He flinched, but there was no other reaction as she began to sew him closed. He'd said it was cold in the room, but Max could feel the heat rolling off of him in fevered waves. Her hand held against his back to keep her steady felt like she was leaning against a furnace.

She worked as quickly as she could, but the silence was wearing. All she could hear was his harsh, pain-filled breathing and the thread dragging through his flesh. "Come on, Alec," she said quietly. "Talk to me. It'll distract you."

"You mean it'll distract _you_," he said, his voice strained, a dim flicker of humor in it.

"So tell me a story," she urged softly. "Just… talk."

"Talk," he said like it was a completely foreign concept. "Ok…" He took a deep breath as if to steady himself, wincing as his ribs objected. "I… One day…We were outside and they… We were in formation…"

Max could tell how agitated he was just by how much trouble he was having speaking. Alec talking was like Alec breathing. It was just what he did.

"A man came out. I'd never seen him before and he started looking at all of us. Then he got in a group with the guards and the rest of the higher-ups. They were whispering, but of course we could hear. And they say they'll need a… good-looking child… someone special… innocent looking, but who won't break easily."

Max suddenly had a horrible feeling and Alec snorted. "No, he wasn't a dirty old man," he said. "At least not that kind. They mentioned several of us, and then he came back and pointed at me. Pulled me out of the crowd. He put his hand under my chin and made me look up at him. He turned my face to get a good look." Alec involuntarily turned his head from side to side at the memory. "Then he said 'Smile for me, son.' I smiled and he smiled back. He seemed so pleased. The next thing I know they send me to a political rally with a guard. She was supposed to be my mother. We got to meet the man himself, a senator I think. My 'mother'had an arm around my shoulders, proud of her son, while I smiled and shot the guy twice in the heart."

Max's hands stilled at her work. "They wanted someone innocent looking who could get close and kill a political problem," she said, trying to clarify. He nodded and she resumed stitching. Manticore had chosen a photogenic child just perfect for a politician wanting a photo op. They'd gotten rid of a politician threatening their work and as a bonus, Manticore got to show what one of their little 'creations' was capable of. She tried not to think of how they had already known Alec wouldn't break under the pressure. Max finished stitching and began taping gauze over the wound.

"Nice, huh?" Alec shook his head. "The security was looking at the adults. They didn't even think of searching me. I mean who'd expect a kid to come out shooting."

Max actually remembered the incident. She'd been young, but she remembered people talking about it. The thing was she knew there had been four more assassinations over the next few months. She had to wonder if those had been Alec's work too.

"They changed guards each time after that. Gave me a new Mommy or Daddy. Security would be looking for an adult that popped up again."

Well, that answered that, Max thought. Manticore had found a system that worked and kept it up. Max finished taping the bandage in place.

"The senator… he was my first," Alec said distantly. "The very first… His face… He looked so… surprised." Alec laughed and scratched at his forehead, a nervous habit. "You never forget your first."

Max's heart constricted painfully. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to do as she scooted forward so that she could get close enough. Max wrapped her arms around him, her chest pressed against his back.

Alec shuddered at the contact and she could feel how tense his muscles were all along his back and beneath her hands held flat against his chest. She felt as well as heard his breath hitch, felt him fighting for control.

Control. A soldier always had to be in control. Lose control of yourself, lose control of the situation and you were dead. Manticore demanded iron self-control, discipline at all costs. Lose it and if the mission didn't kill you, then Manticore just might. A defective product was a useless product.

Max turned her head to one side and laid her cheek against him, her hair brushing against and yet hiding his barcode, the ever-present reminder of what they were. Almost imperceptibly he began to relax into her embrace. He brought a hand up to cover hers, his touch as warm and comforting to her as what she was trying to offer him.

They were alive, scarred but alive. And Manticore was gone.

She and Alec remained that way for several minutes. She kept still, feeling him breathe in and out, his hand wrapped tightly around hers. She listened to his heartbeat, heard it calm and return to its normal slow and steady pace.

Finally, he released her, patting her hand gently. "If you're waiting for me to cry, I don't have the right chromosomes." She could hear the smile in his voice. "Besides we're trained to cope through brutal retaliation. It's in the manual."

She slipped her arms from around him and sat back, feeling the sudden loss of heat. "They couldn't have isolated the gene for sarcasm, could they?" She smacked him lightly on the head, allowing her hand to linger. Alec tilted his head back, clearly enjoying the feel of her fingers brushing through his hair. She half-expected him to purr.

"That part's all nurture," he murmured. "So, now that you mention it, I guess you can blame Manticore for that too."

Max let her hand fall, carefully setting it over the bandage on his shoulder. "All done," she said, but they both knew she meant far more than her patching him up.

"Thanks," Alec sighed. He started to pull his bloodied shirt back on and then thought better of it.

"Stay put," Max said. Keeping low, she hurried out of the kitchen area to Alec's shelves, grabbed the first thing she could find, then hurried back. She waited for him to pull the black t-shirt over his head while she settled herself, cross-legged in front of him. He had moved back to lean against the wall, his knees bent allowing him to gingerly rest his elbows on them.

Max moved far enough forward that she knew she was crowding him. Now that they were face to face, she would need to crowd him to bully him into talking. She remained cross-legged, her knees resting against his feet and waited until his eyes met hers.

"You ok?"

He gave her a lop-sided smile. "Sure. Just the price we pay for beauty."

"Yeah, Alec," she said snidely, "cause all pretty people are used as government assassins."

"You mean they're not?" he said in mock-astonishment.

Max allowed a small smile to peek at the corners of her mouth, but it quickly faded. "Alec, why did you tell me that story? Who is Nicholas?"

Alec's expression faltered. "Just someone I met once."

"People you met once don't usually try to run you down. They don't shoot you either."

His eyes darkened, memories flitting across his face and she could see they weren't pleasant. "Funny," he said, forced lightness in his tone. "Seems to happen fairly often around here."

"Alec…" she said with an impatient huff.

But he wasn't looking at her any more. He was looking over her shoulder, his eyes on the doorway behind her. Max heard it then, glass crunching underfoot.

"Hi, Nick," he said casually, his relaxed facade belying the tension Max knew he had to be feeling. "Long time, no see."

* * *

_Hopefully that'll hold ya for a little bit at least... More soon._


	5. Chapter 5

**Deadly Mercy**

Summary: An act of mercy from Alec's days at Manticore returns to haunt him.

_Thank you very much for all the lovely reviews. You're too kind!_

Chapter Five

* * *

Max tensed, ready to turn and fight, but Alec couldn't allow that. Nicholas had a gun and although he might not have transgenic speed, he would probably be able to get a shot off before Max could do anything about it. Alec reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders, ignoring the pain that tore across his back as he pulled at the stitches.

"Don't," he whispered. "He's armed and he's too close." Max nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Stand up," Nicholas said. "Both of you."

Max rose, her back still to the gunman, carefully keeping her hands in plain sight. Alec, too, started to stand, but one of his knees buckled and it came back down with a crack, sending a jolt of agony straight to his brain. Instinctively, Max bent to help him.

"Don't move!" Nicholas shouted. "You try anything, I'll kill you both."

Alec looked up and his eyes met Max's as she silently asked if he was all right. He nodded to tell her he was fine. "I'm just going to help him up," she said, keeping her tone neutral. "He had a little car trouble earlier," she added.

"_Car trouble_?" Alec asked, only loud enough for her to hear. She smirked, but reached out a hand for him to take. "What do you call a decapitation? A bad hair cut?"

Alec grit his teeth and rose from the floor with Max's help. She began to turn to face their opponent, but once again, Alec physically stopped her. He put his hands on her shoulders and held her in place, facing him. Max tried to twist out of his grasp, but he held her firmly despite the aggravation it was causing his injuries.

"Stop," he whispered, and something in his tone caught her attention. "Max, stop." She looked like she wanted to punch him, but she quit fighting him and waited. "I can't let you see him."

"Are you nuts?" she snapped and began twisting again, trying to free herself. Alec was stronger than she was though. Simple genetics, which they both knew were inescapable.

"Nicholas isn't going to hurt you, because you have no idea who he is or what he looks like," he said simply, then looked over her shoulder to the other man. "Isn't that right, Nicholas?"

The nice guy with the gun pointed at Alec's head nodded. He was older and far more serious than Alec remembered, but he was counting on it that Nicholas wouldn't kill Max unless he had to. He was here for the man who'd ruined his life.

"The thing is, Max," Alec said, his mouth quirking up on one side, "I know you. I'm your project of the day. And if I let you see him, you're going to try and find him after I leave with him."

"No, Alec," she said. "He's going to _kill_ you."

"Max," he said softly, pulling her closer. She looked so beautiful and so worried. "Max, listen."

Her eyes widened in alarm, bordering on panic. "Alec, don't you dare say goodbye to me," she ordered. "I will kick your ass into next week… You hear me?"

Alec pulled her closer still, and rested his forehead against hers. "Max, I'm trying to get you out of here without any new bullet holes." He chuckled, though it sounded humorless even to his own ears. "Help me out here, will ya?"

"I won't help him kill you," she whispered. "Where's the selfish jerk who'd do anything to get himself out of trouble?" she added on a hiss. "Why hasn't he already done something about this guy?"

"Nick has good reason to want me dead, Max. He and I need to have a little chat," he said so quietly only she would be able to hear. "You of all people should understand that."

"Enough of this," Nicholas said tersely.

Max tried once again to turn, but Alec put his hands on either side of her head to stop her. "I'm coming," he said, looking past her. "Just let me take care of one thing." The man frowned, his gun never wavering, but again he nodded. Nick had been too obliging back then too. It was the reason they were in this situation. Alec had used it to his advantage then and he had no qualms about using it now.

Alec looked down at Max, his fingers threading through her hair. He could feel her breath brushing against his face, a gentle caress. "Take care of yourself, Max," he whispered. Alec closed the tiny space left between them and kissed her.

Max might kill him or he might die once he left this apartment, but he was already in heaven.

* * *

Heaven. Alec's lips were like heaven. She would kick his ass once she could think clearly, but until then…

Max sighed into the kiss, automatically bringing her hands up to hold him, hold herself in place. She felt his skilled fingers gliding through her hair and down to her shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him, so that she could feel every bit of his muscled body pressed against hers. His hands rose again, brushing along her skin as they moved, finally stopping to caress her neck. He massaged the skin gently, matching the movement of his hands with the rhythm of his mouth slanting over hers. She knew she ought to, but she just couldn't seem to mind that they had an audience or that the audience was armed. As soon as she was finished here, she would turn around and kick the crap out of dear, sweet, wronged Nick.

She was starting to feel light-headed. Alec's left hand wrapped around her neck, the other went around her back, keeping her happily anchored in place, although she felt like her knees were about to give way. His lips were just so wonderful. He felt so good in her arms. She could barely think, just couldn't concentrate on anything else.

And then it hit her. Alec's hand at her neck. The pressure. His hand was putting steady pressure on both sides. He was cutting off the blood supply. The bastard had distracted her long enough that she was going to pass out. He would leave while she was unconscious and if Nicholas had his way, she would never see Alec again.

Alec broke off the kiss and once again set his forehead against hers, increasing the now bruising pressure of his fingers against her neck. Her vision was fading, but she still tried to fight him. It was a lost cause though and they both knew it. He took on her full weight as she sagged against him.

"Sorry, Max."

She barely heard the words as darkness came to claim her. She thought she felt one last kiss, a bare brush of his lips against hers.

* * *

Alec carefully gathered Max up in his arms. He felt a few of his stitches tear, but ignored it and walked past Nicholas toward the sofa. The man backed up, still keeping the gun trained on him, but allowed him to pass. Alec set her down and brushed a stray wisp of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear.

"Trust me," he said, still looking down at her. "You don't want her following you." _And I don't want her hurt_, he added silently to himself. Max was… Alec hardly even knew what she was to him. Max was Max. And somewhere along the line she'd become more important to him than breathing. He could still feel her pressed against him, feel her mouth on his, hear the sigh as she sank into the kiss. She'd saved him, freed him. Max was life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness all rolled into one beautiful, deadly package. Alec almost smiled as he looked down at her. She was going to kill him when she woke up.

"Let's go."

Alec turned back to Nicholas. Now that Max was out of the line of fire, he could risk taking the gun from him. Alec was fast enough to do it. Then they would have their little chat, away from here and away from Max.

"I know how fast you are," Nicholas said, as if reading his mind. "I saw you get away from the car this morning."

"How about we talk without the gun? We can do that, can't we?" _Especially if I take it from you_. "We'll leave and we can talk," Alec said evenly.

"What makes you think I would trust you anywhere near me without a gun?" Nicholas said grimly. "My father might have told me to be generous. He might have given you the benefit of the doubt. But then he's dead now, isn't he."

Alec heard the gentle tinkle of glass breaking, followed by a slight sting at his neck. A second later, Alec's brain was already feeling fuzzy and he was losing muscle control. He mentally berated himself. He'd walked right in front of the windows again and just stood there. Brilliant strategy. Alec stumbled and fell, his head landing against the sofa cushion near Max's elbow.

"This morning I wanted you dead. I'd have happily killed you myself. But you see, I've been listening to you and your friend talking." The man flipped open a cell phone and began dialing. "Now I need information," he explained, "and I really don't care how I get it. If it's unpleasant for you… then all the better." He put the phone to his ear, but Alec was too far gone to hear anything else.

* * *

_I've been called into work early (I _love_ overtime. Grrr…), so that'll have to be it for today. Tomorrow's not looking any better, so don't get worried if you don't see anything until Monday._


	6. Chapter 6

**Deadly Mercy**

Summary: An act of mercy from Alec's days at Manticore returns to haunt him.

_Pardon the delay… Work and all. I should really take my phone off the hook. I hate it when Duty calls._

Chapter Six

* * *

Max awoke with a start and rolled off the sofa, crouched and ready to fight. She was going to kill Nick and then she was going to kill Alec. And then she was going to kick Alec's ass and kill him again, _slowly_.

Gone. They were both gone. The apartment felt empty and cold. Even the smell was fading, though she could still faintly register Nicholas' aftershave. If nothing else then she would recognize that smell and the man's voice when she found him. And she would find him if it was the last thing she ever did.

So what if he had good reason for wanting Alec dead. Lots of people did, herself included. That didn't mean that whatever had happened to him was Alec's fault. This mess was all on Manticore and that made it her business. That and the lingering sensation of Alec's warm, moist lips against hers, the feel of the muscles in his back shifting beneath her hands as he held her close. That especially made it her business. She and Alec were… whatever it was they were and no past mission was gonna screw that up for them before they got to figure it out.

Max rose, ran for the door and to the nearest phone she could find, a payphone down the block. She practically ripped the phone out of its cradle, her fingers flying over the numbers.

"Logan, pick up!" she said impatiently. Three rings. Four. Five.

"_Hello?_"

"Logan, I need you to track Alec's cell phone. I'm sure he still has it on him."

"_What's he done now?_"

"He's gone, Logan. This guy's got him and I'm pretty sure Alec's dead if I don't find him fast."

"_Hang on._" She heard his computer chair rolling and then keys clicking.

"I need you to look up something else for me, too. A guy named Nicholas."

"_Last name?_"

"No clue. But I think he's somehow connected to a bunch of assassinations several years ago."

"_Someone Alec killed come back to haunt him? Why am I not surprised?_"

Max could hear the condemnation in his tone and fought the urge to yell at him. Alec needed her though and she needed Logan to tell her where Alec was. So no yelling. "Logan, focus. Manticore tells you to kill someone, it's not like you've got a lot of say in the matter. Not if you want to keep breathing."

Logan sighed in hurt resignation. She could hear it even above the street noise. Alec always had been and always would be a sore point between them. Maybe that was even fair. That didn't mean there was time for her to have a guilt trip or Logan to have a pity party. They could do that later after she saved Alec.

"_Tell me about the assassinations, Max. Give me something to work with._"

"They started with a senator or something killed at a political rally. He was shot at point blank range, but they never could identify the shooter. There were four of five more just like that in the space of a couple of months.

"_I remember. That was Alec's work?_"

"Manticore." Max felt the need to make that distinction abundantly clear. "Think you can find anything?"

"_Give me a minute._"

Max listened with mounting frustration to the continued clicking of keys. Every second Alec was getting farther away from her, or worse was getting closer to dying. She looked at her watch. She'd been out for about five minutes, more than enough time for things to go horribly wrong.

"Logan, hurry."

"_Ok, I think I've got something._"_

* * *

_

Alec blinked groggily and tried to raise his head. Pain. Lots of pain. And the light made him think his head was going to explode. Déjà vu all over again.

"Why did you kill him?"

Alec blinked again, trying to force his mind to clear. He'd killed someone. Not surprising really. He'd killed a lot of people. Why? Now that was a more troubling question. Someone roughly grabbed his chin and forced his head back, making the light shine down on him more directly. Ouch.

"I heard you talking to the girl. Why were you sent to kill my father?"

Nicholas.

Alec groaned as memory returned. Max wasn't beside him this time, Nick was. And Nick sounded _really_ ticked off. Go figure. Alec quickly realized he was sitting in a chair, his hands tied behind his back. He could feel fresh blood at his shoulder and knew the stitches had been pulled. Blood was trailing down his arm over his hands. There went another shirt. He was getting tired of bad guys ruining his clothes. Money didn't grow on trees. It required hustling, plotting and putting up with Max bitching at him about how he got it.

"_Why did you kill him_?"

"Seemed like the thing to do at the time," Alec answered, only realizing after he'd said it that the words had actually come out of his mouth. Inside voice, Alec. Not everything needs to come out. He heard the man suck in an angry breath, and then Alec felt a stinging slap across his face.

"Answer the question."

The slap certainly chased away the last of the cobwebs. Nick was standing directly in front of him, flanked by two goons. Security guards. Nick was, no doubt, a powerful man these days like his father had been before his untimely demise. Money and power tended to run in families. He certainly looked the part; snappy looking suit, hair that wouldn't move in a stiff breeze, the confidence only a lot of money could buy. Impressive really since he was only a little older than Alec himself.

"I did answer it," Alec said bluntly. "The thing to do at the time was to keep myself alive. And unfortunately the only way to do that was to kill who they told me to."

"Who are _they_?"

"Manticore," Alec sighed. "Top secret government facility that bred lots of scary things not unlike myself to do whatever scary thing they wanted. Their own little personal army of super-soldiers, specializing in covert ops, assassinations, general death and mayhem, that sort of thing." No point in not being frank. The guy was probably just going to shoot him anyway. Alec tried to twist his hands out of the rope around his wrists. The rope was well tied and his battered muscles were not going to cooperate. This might take longer than he was going to get.

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Nick," Alec said tiredly, "I really don't know you that well, so all I can do is tell you what I know and let you go wherever you want with it."

"You're not even sorry, are you?"

There was real pain in the question and Alec couldn't fail to notice it. He allowed his eyes to meet the other man's. "Sorry doesn't even begin to cover it."

Yes, he was sorry. Sorry that he'd killed the man's father. Sorry that he'd followed orders and destroyed lives. Sorry that he'd given in again and again, ignoring what little bit of conscience he'd managed to cobble together. Sorry that he hadn't defied them and run like Max had. More than that though, he was sorry that he just wasn't really sorry enough. He was alive. And he was glad he was alive. And the only thing that had kept him alive was killing other people. Their deaths had ensured his life. Their time cut short had given him the time to find freedom, to see Manticore finished, to meet Max.

Alec didn't know what Nicholas saw in his face, but he blinked and tilted his head to one side, studying him. "So these people ordered you to kill him," Nick said.

"Yup."

"Why?"

"No clue."

"You killed someone and didn't even know why."

It was amazing how much condemnation a person could put into one little sentence, Alec thought. But Manticore had taught him not to care. Most of the time it worked. He liked it better when it worked. It kept the guilt from crushing what little soul he still had intact.

"They gave me a picture and a gun," Alec said. He'd been a _kid_ for crying out loud. Like they were going to explain anything to him? Besides, Manticore had barely thought of them as human. It would be like explaining your reasoning to the bomb you were about to drop. There was just no purpose in it.

When Nick opened his mouth to say something else, Alec cut him off. "My guess would be that your dad had been poking around. Politicians who looked into Manticore and who were likely to object were… removed." He pursed his lips. "You should take it as a compliment. It means your father couldn't be bribed."

"Manticore," Nick said, looking at him as if seeing him for the first time. "You're one of those freaks they've been talking about on the news… All the rumors going around."

Alec snorted. "What's a little genetic alteration between friends?"

Nick actually took a step back from him and Alec couldn't keep a wolfish grin from appearing. Not that a cat like himself should have a wolfish grin. The two guards opposite him bristled, sensing another predator. "What were you expecting, Nick? You thought a pint-sized assassin would be something normal?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I… You're nothing of what I expected," Nick answered, frowning.

"Does that mean you're not going to kill me?" Alec asked, his tone implying that it didn't really matter to him one way or the other.

"No."

Alec shook his head. "Thought you might say that."

* * *

_More soon…_


	7. Chapter 7

**Deadly Mercy**

Summary: An act of mercy from Alec's days at Manticore returns to haunt him.

_We're in the home stretch… Thanks for your patience._

Chapter Seven

* * *

Max quietly worked her way through the warehouse toward the voices. Logan had given her the address of a building owned by Nicholas Simms, son of murdered Congressman Andrew Simms. It was only a short drive from Alec's apartment and that was the direction the last ping from Alec's cell phone had given, provided the time constraints. It had been Logan's best guess and from the sound of tension-filled voices, Max knew it had been a good one.

She moved carefully, silently slipping closer and closer until finally she could peek around a group of stacked boxes into an open space. Alec was tied to a chair, his hands behind him, definitely looking worse for wear; bruised, bleeding and exhausted.

Standing directly in front of him was a tall, dark-headed man, maybe a few years older than Alec. He looked rich, well dressed in a suit that probably cost more than she made in several months at Jam Pony. She could only partially see his face, but he looked on edge, stressed to his limits. He was flanked by two men, also in dark suits, though definitely of the cheaper variety. These two were the size of professional wrestlers and had hired thug written all over them.

"I want to know who gave the order," Nicholas said.

"Dunno."

One of the guards pulled a gun out of his jacket and held it loosely at his side.

Alec snorted. "You can threaten me all you like. It doesn't mean I can tell you."

"I say the word," Nicholas growled, "and he'll shoot you."

Alec cocked his head to one side and his tell-tale smirk appeared. Max fought the urge to leap into the middle of the men and smack it off his face. Alec just couldn't seem to grasp the concept of not pissing off people who wanted to kill him. Granted, she'd never learned that lesson very well herself.

"When I was a kid," Alec said, "guns were about as close as we got to toys. They're almost soothing in a way. I named my first gun Margaret. I called her Maggie for short." He frowned thoughtfully. "I wonder whatever happened to her."

Nicholas stepped forward and put his hand on Alec's already injured shoulder. The man tightened his grip and Alec grimaced, pressing his lips together tightly to keep from crying out. Max cringed, feeling an echo of what Alec was suffering. She couldn't take all three of them at once though. She needed a plan.

"I want to know who ordered the hit," Nicholas said. "The official report said the man who was with you that day was part of a terrorist organization. I couldn't point you out on the surveillance video, but I could point to him."

"Knew I should have given you stricter instructions," Alec ground out.

Nick ignored the words. "They raided a building several days later where the group was meeting. The man's body was recovered and a boy matching your description, but obviously it was staged for my benefit. You will _tell me_ who ordered my father's death."

Alec was breathing hard, his teeth still tightly clenched. Max could see that he hadn't known that part. He looked like he'd been sucker-punched. They'd killed the guard and some poor kid that looked like Alec to get Nick to stop looking for answers. "Nick, I…"

Nicholas dug his fingers in and Alec gasped, twisting, trying to get away. "No more smart remarks."

"Wouldn't… dream… of it," Alec wheezed.

Nicholas released him and stepped back. "Tell me what I want to know."

Alec sagged back into the chair, his eyes closed, working to get his breathing back in control. "I… I don't know. The man who came that day… I never saw him again. Never heard a name."

"You're lying!"

"_You think I wouldn't kill him myself if I had the chance_?" Alec roared. Max literally took a step back in the face of the raw fury in Alec's voice. She almost pitied the guy if Nick or Alec ever got their hands on him. Well… Maybe not. But she'd send a nice condolence card to the next of kin.

"Then give me someone who does know," Nicholas ordered.

"Can't," Alec sagged back into his chair and smirked humorlessly. "Gone… All gone. We're all that's left of dear old Manticore. Nice transgenic I know named Max… burnt the place to the ground."

"Max? The girl you were talking to earlier?"

"That's the one. And don't worry. There's no way she's still at the apartment."

"Where can I find her?"

Alec's smile was far more amused now. "I couldn't tell you that either." His eyes rose and Max felt it like a physical blow when they locked with hers. He'd known she was there all along. Almost immediately though, his gaze left her and traveled up to Nicholas. "I won't let you use me to hurt her."

"You used me to kill my father," Nicholas said angrily.

"Yes, I did," Alec answered, pulling no punches. "Security was too tight around him. Our normal method wasn't working and I had to improvise. I knew you were his son and security would let me in if I was with you."

"I didn't know any better and you used me!" Nicholas shouted, his temper spiraling out of control. "I was just a kid!"

"So was I. And you were my job," Alec replied straightly. "You wanna hold that against me, that's fine."

"Ok, I will."

Nicholas reached toward the gun the bodyguard was holding and Max braced to move.

One second Alec was tied to the chair and the next, both guards were down. She'd barely even seen Alec move. Nicholas staggered back, shocked at the turn of events. Max, too, remained immobile, stunned at the sheer speed of the attack. Alec was always so casual and carefree. He made it so easy to forget that he'd had years and years more training than she had. He might even do it purposely, lull people into complacency with his laidback, I-couldn't-care-less persona, which made him just that much more dangerous. And this was Alec _injured_. Max blinked and in that bare fraction of a second, Nicholas was flat on his back. The guard's gun was in Alec's hand, pointed straight at Nick's head.

"Like I told you," Alec said lowly. "Guns and I… we're old friends."

"What _are_ you?" Nicholas asked, real fear in his eyes, more than just fear for his life.

"Just a guy trying to get by," Alec assured him. "Well, maybe not _just_ a guy." He suddenly grinned. "But close enough for government work."

Nicholas moved to sit up and Alec allowed it, backing off a bit, though he kept the gun trained on him.

"Half of me says that I should kill you." Alec's tone was matter-of-fact, pleasantly conversational even. Max studied his features and was immediately reminded of the first time she'd met him. 494 just doing his job. "If I let you go, you'll probably back off for a while. But one day, you'll decide maybe I got off easy and then hire some jerk with a gun and then bye-bye Alec. Sound about right?"

Nick was still looking at him like a deer in the headlights. "Please…" He held his hands out in front of him, like he could somehow stop the bullets.

Alec paid no attention, his gun steady. "I have enough people trying to kill me. I don't need another one if I can help it."

Max stepped forward, coming out of the shadows. Alec's conscience was _nebulous_ at best. Logan liked to call him a sociopath. Max knew that wasn't really the case. Selfish, egotistical, maybe, but more like… self-sufficient. He was capable of caring, but he'd learned a long time ago that no one was going to look after him, but him. And that meant that to protect himself, he just might kill Nick. Max needed to remind him that it wasn't that way any more. He had people he could count on, people who counted on him. But also that Nick was a victim here too. Nick and Alec had both lost their childhoods to Manticore.

Alec saw the movement and looked up at her. Just looked. And then… he winked. Max almost laughed as the tension rushed out of her.

Alec's eyes returned to Nicholas. "Maybe I should kill you… But Manticore doesn't control me any more and that's lucky for both of us, isn't it, Nick?"

Nicholas nodded, uncertainty and disbelief mixing in his expression.

"I don't want to have this conversation again," Alec said, a statement and a warning. "You won't like it much either. Understand?"

Nicholas nodded again, confusion written on his face. Alec was a trained killer and he was armed. Nick hadn't expected a reprieve.

"Good. Now I'm going to go home. I'd suggest you do the same. You have a wife? Kids?"

The confusion faded and Nicholas nearly snarled. "If you come near my children-"

Alec's eyes widened. His nostrils flared and his teeth were so tightly clenched, Max imagined she could _hear_ them grinding. It must have raised his blood pressure, because he suddenly looked light-headed and she was reminded that Alec was running on fumes.

"Alec?" she asked carefully.

"They're _kids_, Nick," Alec stated, as if that explained it and it did, really. "Kids!"

"Don't pretend." Tears began to roll down the man's cheeks. "That day, after my dad… I never understood why you didn't kill me too. I saw it in your face. That you _could_ do it. You could have killed me. I saw you decide not to. _Why_? Why didn't you?"

Max looked at Alec, wondering if he would answer. She saw something flash across his face and she couldn't quite identify it before it was already gone. She stepped closer to the two men. Alec still hadn't answered, maybe he couldn't. Max saw him waver, exhaustion, pain and blood loss getting the better of him. She gently reached out to take the gun from his hand. He relinquished it easily and she tossed it away.

"Let's go, Alec," she urged. He didn't budge, looking down at his now empty hands covered in blood. It was his own blood, but Max could only imagine what he was thinking. Suddenly, as if he could no longer stand the sight, he raised his head to look at Nicholas.

"Your father," Alec said, the words slightly slurred, "he knew he was a dead man… and instead of looking at me or at the gun, he looked at you. I was about to kill him and he looked at _you_. All he wanted was to protect you. He couldn't. So I did."

"He saved me?"

Alec nodded and Max fought not to contradict him. If what she had gathered was true then Alec had put his own life on the line that day to save him, ignoring standing orders not to leave witnesses.

"He saved me." Nicholas closed his eyes and sobbed, pain and love for a long-dead father blinding him.

Alec stumbled, one of his knees giving way. Max caught him and pulled him close, one arm around his waist, the other pulling his uninjured arm across her shoulders. "It's ok, Alec. Just hold on," she said.

His head fell forward as if he was suddenly too tired to hold it up. "I'd have given anything to have someone look at me like that," he murmured. "Anything." Alec's voice was so quiet, Max doubted Nicholas had even heard it.

"Let's go, Alec." She began pulling him toward the doors, but he used the arm he had across her shoulders to pull her around to face him.

"Max, look at me."

"Alec, we need to go. Come on," she insisted. They needed to be gone before the bodyguards woke up. Alec might have come to some sort of weird quasi-truce with Nicholas, but Max doubted the hired guns would agree.

"Please, Max. Look at me." Her eyes rose, studying his weary features. "You know I won't let anything happen to you, right?" he asked. "Don't ever doubt it. No matter what stupid things come out of my mouth."

She knew it. He was still wearing the bruises to prove it. Still, she was who she was. "I'm a big girl, Alec. I've done fine on my own for a long time," she said.

"Yeah, Max," he sighed. "I just wanted to make sure you knew."

"I know, Alec." She shifted uncomfortably under his steady gaze. She knew he was trying to do for her what Nick's father had done for him. She'd just never been good with this sort of thing. "You, too."

Alec gave her a lopsided smile. "Awww… If I didn't know better, I'd say you care," he whispered.

Max knew that although his tone was bordering on flippant, and he was barely conscious, he was deadly serious. "I care, Alec," she answered and was rewarded with a genuine smile, a rare gift from Alec. "But just so you don't ever try that knock out thing you did earlier?"

Alec grimaced. "Yeah… about that…"

Max decked him. But since she was the nice, caring girl that she was, she caught him before he hit the floor. He deserved it and he'd been about to pass out anyway. Besides, she'd carried him back to her apartment once tonight already. One more time wasn't going to hurt.

* * *

_We'll wrap it up tomorrow…_


	8. Chapter 8

**Deadly Mercy**

Summary: An act of mercy from Alec's days at Manticore returns to haunt him.

_Here you have it all wrapped up. I almost didn't post this story out of sheer nervousness so a big Thank You to each and every one of you who've read and reviewed._

Chapter Eight

* * *

Alec woke slowly in a warm, comfortable haze. He was in bed on his stomach, bare from the waist up though he could tell he was still wearing his jeans. It felt like a blanket rather than sheets beneath him and he guessed he must have just fallen on the bed and stayed there. Alec could feel a fresh bandage covering the bullet wound on his shoulder and was grateful he wouldn't have to take care of it himself.

Looking to the window, Alec saw that the sun was just rising which meant he hadn't been asleep long. Trying to find what had awakened him, Alec focused all his attention on his senses. If Nick had sent someone after him despite his gentle warning, this was going to be ugly. Generosity went only so far. When it came down to it, Alec liked himself better than he liked Nick.

The apartment around him was silent, however. Max's apartment, he noted. This was becoming a habit, and not an unpleasant one, minus the requirement to be at death's door. His entire body felt warm, heavy and wonderfully lethargic, like he could lay there forever. Or at least until White tracked him down, or Normal threatened to fire him if he didn't show up.

Alec felt it then. Fingers. A hand against his side, fingers against his bare skin just above the waistband of his jeans. And that was when he realized the reason for the glorious warmth. Alec was on his stomach facing away from her, but he knew it was Max lying next to him, her body pressed to him, shoulder to ankle. Max's head was resting against his back, one arm draped across his waist, those fingers like a brand against his side.

Alec remained perfectly still and ordered himself to remain relaxed so as not to wake her. He knew she'd probably move away as soon as she did. She would have counted on waking before him. Her warm breath gently brushed over his skin and he could feel the steady rise and fall of her chest as it moved in and out against him. Max shifted in her sleep, a soft sigh escaping, and those fingers pressed against his side curled, tightening very slightly.

If the woman had wanted to get back at him, then she'd found a far better way than punching him. Alec felt a lock of her silky hair fall over his shoulder. This was torture. And he wouldn't give up a second of it.

Max shifted again and he knew she must be waking up. Her movement had probably been what had pulled him from his own sleep. Neither of them were heavy sleepers. Too many years of training, too many nights when they'd had to run, too many weird bits of DNA, too many memories… None of it allowed them to really _rest_. And yet with Max beside him he almost thought he could close his eyes and do just that. Rest. Almost.

He could still remember that long ago day with merciless clarity. He's been sent with his father/guard to kill a congressman, the fifth in a campaign to assassinate the politicians who would pose a problem for Manticore. Alec had been nearly sick when they'd shown him the picture of the target. Nicholas' father and mother had been smiling and waving, the man's free arm around Nick's shoulders. They were sending him for the father, but he'd known what he was doing. He was about to kill a family as surely as if he'd put a bullet into the wife and son as well.

His handler hadn't been happy with him. The man had seen the hesitation and written something in his notebook. Furtive notes led to more training, more drills, more lectures, or worse, to time in psy-ops. Reindoctrination was… unpleasant. One thing was sure. Manticore had their system down to a science. Take one little kid, smack him around for a few years and bingo, one sociopath to do your bidding. If the kid somehow managed not to be a soulless automaton then you made sure he was too afraid or too brainwashed to cross you.

So for the fifth time that summer, Alec had squared his shoulders, shut off his brain and readied himself to kill a man. Almost as soon as they'd arrived at the political rally, however, they'd realized the plan wasn't going to work. Security was beyond tight after the string of assassinations. No one was being allowed near the congressman. That was when Alec had spotted Nicholas. Alec had told his keeper to make himself scarce, then worked his way up to Nick and struck up a conversation. Nick had been a little older, but Alec had always been able to talk. It was a gift.

They'd chatted through most of the rally, laughing and joking. When they'd moved inside the hotel where the family was staying, Nick had waved security away with an easy, "It's ok. He's with me." They'd played a computer game and laughed for an hour until the rally ended and the congressman came back to the hotel room. Then Alec had simply stood up and shot him.

In the split second between when the man had realized what was happening and Alec had taken the shot, he'd seen it. He'd seen the look that begged him not to hurt Nicholas. Alec had turned the gun toward the boy he'd been laughing with only moments before. He'd known he should shoot him. But he hadn't. Couldn't.

"Don't tell them," Alec had ordered. "If you tell them you saw me, someone will be back to finish you. Don't tell them and you will live. Got it?"

Nicholas had nodded dumbly, still in a state of shock. Alec had simply tucked the gun away and walked toward the door. What else could he have said really? _Sorry I killed your dad_ just didn't seem to cut it. After that he'd walked out the door and out of the hotel.

"It's done?" His father/guard had asked. Alec had nodded and he would never forget the look on the man's face. Half-revulsion, half-fear. He'd thought of Nick's father and in that instant he knew envy like he'd never felt before. Alec had been escorted back to Manticore and that had been that. The elections had ended and the man who'd chosen him for the assignment had never returned.

"Alec?"

The sleepy voice drew him back from the memories. He shifted on the bed in response and immediately cried out at the pain that shot through his entire body. All the nice, warm, lethargic feelings fled in an instant and were replaced with every bit of aching, torn, ragged sensation his body was capable of recognizing. His brain screamed in protest, making all of his muscles tense, the exact wrong thing to do. The bullet wound was the very least of it. He'd literally been run down by a car and he _hurt_. His muscles drawing up, he rolled onto his side curling into himself.

"Alec, relax," Max ordered, her voice now sounding completely awake. "Relax," she said again. "Alec, you're making it worse." She pulled herself closer, wrapping herself around him. She slipped one arm beneath his head and slid the hand that had been at his waist upward and around, placing both of her hands flat against his chest. Pressing herself as closely as she could against his back, she spoke into his ear, trying to calm him. "Relax. It's ok. Just breathe, Alec. Just breathe."

Alec focused on her voice, letting his own chest rise and fall in time with hers and slowly his aching muscles calmed.

"That's it," she sighed, relief in her tone. "Just breathe." She pulled her arm from beneath his head and trailed her fingers through his hair in a soothing repetitive motion. "That's it. Just take it easy."

"Max," Alec managed to croak, "You're almost better than morphine."

"Does that mean you don't want any pills?"

Alec shifted slightly and groaned. "Just… just punch me again… I'll sleep through the rest."

"You ever try anything like that again and I'll do more than punch you."

"Don't tell me," he said. "You'll castrate me."

"Worse."

"What could possibly be worse?"

"I'll leave you at Logan's to recuperate."

"He'll love it," Alec smirked. "We'll share How-to-handle-Max stories."

He felt Max shake her head. "No music. No TV. He'd give you books though, so that's ok."

Alec groaned. "He'd make pasta…"

"You both seem to like booze. You can talk about wine." Alec could hear the amusement in her voice and knew she was wearing a grin, most likely an evil one. "Logan _loves_ to talk about wine."

"Castration's sounding better by the minute."

Max laughed and Alec could feel the vibration in his own chest she was pressed so closely to him. He was suddenly very aware of her hand, still held flat against his chest. He set his own over it, tracing the fingers from the tips back to her wrist. He took her hand in his and brought it up, lightly brushing his lips across each knuckle. Max's other hand paused where she was still running it through his hair. He heard her breathing change and smiled knowingly.

"Then again maybe not." He placed one last kiss on her fingertips, then let her hand fall back to rest against his chest, though he kept his hand covering hers. "If I hadn't been hit by a car last night, we'd both be having a lot more fun right now."

Max smacked his head lightly. "Don't you think you've had enough _fun_ for one day?"

"I don't know," Alec said. "Logan's standing in the doorway and the look on his face is pretty funny."

Alec barely had the sentence out before Max was off the bed and across the room. Alec gasped, jarred by the movement, and rolled onto his back. "Good grief, Max. You trying to kill me?" Alec wrapped his arms around his bruised ribs and rolled back onto his side, off his injured shoulder and away from Max, but there just wasn't a good way to lay there that didn't hurt and he was sorry he'd goaded her.

Max quickly realized that Logan was nowhere to be seen. "That was not funny!" She came around the bed and knelt in front of him, angrily poking a finger at him. "Logan would-"

"Mixed feelings, much?" Alec simply looked at her, his face carefully showing only mild interest.

Max immediately sagged, her anger deflating as easily as it had arisen. She didn't deny it though.

"I don't know what this is, Max," he said, "But if Logan walks in here right now, I don't want you to apologize for staying with me."

"It's my apartment." She stood and took a step back from him, a telling action if ever Alec saw one. "Technically, _you're_ staying with _me_."

Alec's world came to a screeching halt, though his mind continued to process at normal speed. He pushed himself up to sit on the edge of the bed, ignoring his body's protestations. "Guess I better go then. Logan might roll on in here at any minute. Wouldn't want you to have to explain a strange man in your bed."

He and Max had danced around each other ever since they'd met. Before that, he'd spent years in a kind of stasis at Manticore. _Years_ wasted. Call him selfish, but he just couldn't take being jerked around anymore. Wouldn't. He'd thought maybe they were finally getting somewhere, but if Max wanted him back at arm's length, then fine. He could play it that way. He needed to protect himself, and if that meant getting out of this apartment right now, then so be it.

"Alec, don't."

"Don't what, Max?" He got to his feet, grateful that his knees were at least marginally better than they had been yesterday. "Don't leave? Don't tell Logan? Don't touch you again?"

Max shook her head, painful confusion on her face. "Just… don't." But she stayed firmly in front of him blocking his exit.

Alec sighed and moved toward her, placing his hands on her shoulders and gently sliding them down to rest just above her elbows. "It's ok. Even if Logan had been here, he wouldn't have believed anything was going on. The man could catch us playing tonsil hockey and he'd just think you were covering for something. Of course, last time you told him we were together there was a whole lot of mooning and hand holding afterward, lots of sad, mournful sighing… Kinda pathetic really. I wouldn't have believed you either."

Max glared at him, but Alec ignored it. Some women smiled, Max glared. It was just what she did. Besides, it was kind of cute. In a Max sort of way.

"You don't want to tell him... It's because I'm a sociopath, isn't it?" He cocked his head to one side. "Logan says he kinda envies me… I'm a happy-go-lucky sociopath at least."

"Alec," she said in warning.

"Well, who wants to fight evil and be so _serious_ all the time? I mean, where's the fun in that?"

"We're back to you having fun somehow." She was still frowning.

Alec grinned, his fingers gently gliding over her skin. "Oh, I can tell you how."

"Behave," she ordered.

Alec closed the distance between them, his hands sliding to her back, drawing her to him. "Didn't I just say there was no fun in being so serious all the time?"

Max tilted her head up to look at him. "Are you saying this isn't serious?"

"Oh it's serious," he answered, hiding nothing as she studied him. "Doesn't mean it has to be boring."

Alec held his breath, simply watching her as thoughts and emotions flashed across her face. Then, a sudden wicked glint appeared in her eye. "Boring?" She very deliberately laid a hand against his chest. "I hope not," she said, and Alec had to laugh, feeling dizzy and triumphant. _Really_ dizzy. A second later, he was sitting on the floor, Max kneeling beside him. Just how hard _had_ he rammed his head into that brick wall?

"Idiot," she scolded. "Didn't anyone ever tell you to stay in bed when you're dying?"

"Not dying," he smiled, still feeling pleasantly woozy. "Trying to keep you from talking about wine for the rest of your life. Have to save you from yourself."

She snorted lightly. "Big talk for a sociopath."

"A happy-go-lucky sociopath," he corrected.

"So since you're so happy, you wanna tell me about Nicholas?" she asked.

"Snappy dresser, bit on the weepy side," Alec answered. "Grip like a lumberjack."

"You know you can talk to me, right?" she persisted. "Tell me anything. I'll understand."

"Careful, Max," he smiled sadly. "It works both ways. You really feel like a heart to heart?" She grimaced and Alec shook his head. "Thought so."

Max sighed. "Maybe… maybe one day."

"Maybe so," he nodded, doubting that day would ever come. Sharing painful history just wasn't something either of them was really programmed to do.

They both started at the sound of a phone ringing. "Your cell," Max said. She hurried into the next room and came back carrying the phone. She dropped back down next to him on the floor and held it out. Alec took the phone, though it was against his better judgment, and checked the display.

"Hello?"

"_Alec?_"

"Don't sound so surprised, Logan. It's my phone. Unless you were hoping to talk to my kidnappers…"

"_I never heard from Max and she's not answering her pager. Have you seen her?_"

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking." Alec's eyes met Max's. He knew she'd heard both sides of the conversation. He raised an eyebrow wordlessly asking if she wanted to talk to Logan. Did she want him to know they were together? Max hesitated only a second, then held out a hand for the phone. "She's right here, Logan. Hang on."

Max accepted the phone like it might bite her, but bravely held it to her ear. "Hey."

"_You ok?_"

"Yeah, I'm good."

"_Where are you?_"

"My place."

"_Your place? Alec's… Alec's with you?_"

Max looked at Alec and their eyes locked.

"_Max?_"

"Yeah," she said.

And there it was, Alec thought. The look. The look he'd longed for, waited for. The look that he'd hardly thought possible. The look that said someone cared what happened to him, that someone wanted to protect him, defend him.

"Yeah," she said again and nodded. "Alec's with me."

Alec thought they were the three most beautiful words he'd ever heard.

* * *

_Thanks for staying with this little bit of fluff… _Supernatural_ stories are what I usually stick to (I'm HappyCabbage75 for those), but this one just sort of… happened. Hope it kept you amused for a little while. _


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